Risk Factors and Warning Signs

What leads to suicide?

There’s no single cause for suicide. Suicide most often occurs when stressors and health issues converge to create an experience of hopelessness and despair. Depression is the most common condition associated with suicide, and it is often undiagnosed or untreated. Conditions like depression, anxiety and substance problems, especially when unaddressed, increase the risk for suicide. Yet it’s important to note that most people who actively manage their mental health conditions go on to engage in life.

Suicide Warning Signs

Something to look out for when concerned that a person may be suicidal is a change in behavior or the presence of entirely new behaviors. This is of sharpest concern if the new or changed behavior is related to a painful event, loss, or change. Most people who take their lives exhibit one or more warning signs, either through what they say or what they do.

Additional Facts About Suicide in the US

• The age-adjusted suicide rate in 2020 was 13.48 per 100,000 individuals
• The rate of suicide is highest in middle-aged white men
• In 2020, men died by suicide 3.88x more than women
• On average, there are 130 suicides per day.
• White males accounted for 69.68% of suicides in 2020.
• In 2020, firearms accounted for 52.83% of all suicide deaths.
  Go to https://afsp.org/suicide-statistics/ to view state and national data.